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Showing posts from November 22, 2009

Wyoming and Idaho

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We are back from a quick vacation. I managed to score three (actually several more) bucket list items in 4 days. 1.) Long Snowmobile Trip. 2.) Yellowstone Park and 3.) Wyoming. I reached my 50th State --Wyoming! And we took a 90 mile snowmobile trip in Yellowstone National Park. We went to the "Craters of the Moon--National Monument and Preserve" in Idaho and also stopped at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) where I got to see (with my own eyes) the very cool nuclear powered twin turbojet engine. It was a successful experiment in the 1950s and 1960s. https://whatisnuclear.com/safety-minutes/htre-3-meltdown.html Of course, I had my Radiacode scintillation detector with me and yes, the apparatus is "Hot". The screenshot of the readings from my three walk-arounds the artifact. I swear you could smell the radiation. There was a very un-natural burnt smell something reminiscent of burned bakelite. Although, I am quite certain the emitted radition was not the source...
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Well there has been some significant progress on DJs store. She still doesn't have a grand opening date. So far lots of vacuuming and many trips to the dump and the scrap yard. I am amazed at how much stuff I have laying around here that can be used for this project. My goal is to have less stuff around here as part of this project not more. I put a toilet in. Of course the new toilet is at the other end of the building from the sewer line. The basement is a scary thing. I remember doing this kind of work before in my rental property years ago crawling around oil tanks and up in the joists. It is downright unpleasant. If you don't like dampness and spiders it would make it that much worse. I can't say I like it. I like it best when it is over. I have a bit more drain work to do once we move a couple of walls. The outside is being painted local historic colors per the local historical society.
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A lot is going on as normal. My FAA medical was approved. I am now good to solo and finish my license. I am really looking forward to flying between Sidney and Greene by myself. It took six months to get that mess straightened out. I could write a nice article on how to approach an FAA medical renew. I was starting to think I was sick based on the reluctance and run around. What a waste of federal tax paper money and general bureaucracy. One of the conditions they provided me is that if I feel a kidney stone coming on I am not supposed to fly. Jeepers! I wish they could tell me what to do on everything else in my life and what I am supposed to do and not do. Duh!! Well anyway, I am now legal to fly for the next two years. G. Mills and family were down. We went hunting. We did not get anything. We both need to get our first deer ever. Douglas on the other hand got his first deer ever on opening day. This picture reminds me that I need to paint the silo. DJ Signed the lease on t...